Where’s the Government Support for Broadband?
Catherine Middleton is a Ryerson management professor who spoke at the 2014 OLA Superconference on the importance of broadband Internet to the Canadian economy.…
The Internet is Insecure
So what is the internet, really? It is not magic, although it tries hard to look like it. We don't talk about the physical…
Looking Backward, Moving Forward: Ho-OPLA Reflects Decades of Changes
This first installation of Open Shelf marks some important changes, as Access, the print magazine becomes Open Shelf online, and its regular OPLA column…
Machine Translation: Can It Help Newcomers Access the Public Library?
In a public library, community outreach efforts aim to develop library programs for non-users, the under-served, and people with special needs within the community.…
Parliamentary Budgets & Librarians: An Interview with Kevin Page
Kevin Page is the former Parliamentary Budget Officer of Canada. For readers unfamiliar with the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO), according to its website the…
Academic Opinions of Wikipedia and Open Access Publishing: Gender and Academic Status Factors in Perception and Use
Social and technological advances have brought about significant changes in methods of publication, particularly via a shift to electronic or online media. The open-access…
Courtney Waugh
Meet one of OLA's 5,000 members. An interview with random OLA member #18: Courtney Waugh. Courtney Waugh is a Research & Instructional Services Librarian…
Designing with Empathy
Last summer we bought a new book return unit at my library. It’s a freestanding thing that sits in our lobby and it looks…
Welcome to Open Shelf
Welcome to Open Shelf! With this new e-magazine the Ontario Library Association is embarking on a new adventure in digital publishing. While Open Shelf will…
Be a Beacon of Hope (Not Another Ivory Tower)
I recently joined the library at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) located on the shores of the Red Sea in Saudi…
Brainwashed – In a Good Way
I recently had the opportunity to meet with Valoree McKay, the new Executive Director for the Canadian Library Association. Associations usually go one of…
Shelagh Paterson
Shelagh Paterson is the Executive Director of the Ontario Library Association. She writes the Bird’s Eye column for Open Shelf offering her perspective on…